TV Networks Take Safety Measures in Iraq

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040413/ap_en_tv/tv_iraq_pool_2

TV Networks Take Safety Measures in Iraq
Tue Apr 13, 8:14 AM ET

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - Concerned about the safety of their personnel, five American television networks have taken the unusual step of pooling resources to cover fighting in Iraq (news - web sites).

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News Channel have agreed to share the reports of a single camera crew embedded with the U.S. military in Fallujah, the city that's been at the center of Iraqi violence since four American contractors were killed March 31.

Illustrating the danger, a CNN assignment editor in the pool, Tomas Etzler, was slightly wounded in the head and back during an attack Monday, said Eason Jordan, CNN's chief news executive.

"There's no police force to speak of, civilians are engaged in military efforts, it's a very unstable situation," said Bill Wheatley, NBC News vice president. "There's not much law and order."

<chop>

Fox News Channel's participation in the Fallujah pool was briefly threatened after Oliver North, working as a correspondent in Iraq, traveled with the U.S. military to Fallujah and reported from there just for Fox over the weekend.

After a conference call Monday, the networks agreed that any future material gathered by North in Fallujah would be available to all five, according to executives at two networks who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A Fox News spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.

[Sabriel]

1. Not good news (no pun intended)

Yeeeessss, let's only have one source of information for all of the major networks. What a great idea! In fact, why don't we just take it one step further and just consolidate news in general down to one outlet? (Oh, that's what we have now.) Argh.

[jpgray]

2. TV Networks Accept Message Control Measures in Iraq

That, I believe, was the proper headline. Some staffer forgot his head, no doubt.

[Scurrilous]

3. I'm sure al-Jazeera...

...would be happy to make their footage from Fallujah available to the American networks for broadcast in the US. Don't know if the American networks would like what al-Jazeera has filmed though. Too many dead babies. Doesn't play well back home.

[sspiderjohn]

4. Good point - Or maybe this is a job for Geraldo?

Nah, he hasn't done much grandstanding lately ... He isn't much fun anymore.

[54anickel]

5. But, but I thought we were making good progress over there. Wasn't

that what they were reporting when the Sheraton blew up in the middle of the report. But they explained that as another one of those silly nusiance bombings, nothing to be alarmed about. :eyes:

I do worry that there may be something big attempted during Shrubs news conference tonight. The Iraqis really want the attention of the American public right now. Would be one way to try and get it.

[Cocoa]

6. easier to get their stories straight

"unusual step" is right.